Author: roymorgansocial

Resource stocks in vogue again on back of China hopes

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Original article by Jessica Sier
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 16 : 19-Sep-16

The uncertain outlook for the Chinese economy weighed on both commodity prices and resources stocks earlier in 2016. However, Australia’s resources sector is back in favour with investors, amid growing optimism about the Chinese economy. Whitehaven Coal has gained 250 per cent in the year to date, while pure-play iron ore producer Fortescue Metals Group has risen by 164 per cent.

CORPORATES
WHITEHAVEN COAL LIMITED – ASX WHC, FORTESCUE METALS GROUP LIMITED – ASX FMG, SYRAH RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX SYR, OROCOBRE LIMITED – ASX ORE, GALAXY RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX GXY, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, HSBC AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS PTY LTD, REGAL FUNDS MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, SOUTH32 LIMITED – ASX S32

Amaysim fixed broadband will hit TPG Telecom hardest

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 16-Sep-16

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey shows that 26 per cent of Australians aged 14+ who have a mobile phone with Amaysim – which plans to launch fixed broadband plans by the end of 2016 – do not have fixed broadband in the home. The survey, which was carried out in the six months to August, also shows that Amaysim customers are over 50 per cent more likely than average to have fixed broadband with one of TPG Telecom’s brands, including 11 per cent with TPG itself and 12 per cent with an iiNet Group brand. Meanwhile, 19 per cent of Amaysim customers have Telstra fixed broadband and 13 per cent are with Optus.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AMAYSIM AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX AYS, TPG TELECOM LIMITED – ASX TPM, IINET LIMITED, TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED – ASX TLS, SINGTEL OPTUS PTY LTD, VOCUS COMMUNICATIONS LIMITED – ASX VOC, DODO AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, IPRIMUS

Tall tales: the curious connection between height and income

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 16-Sep-16

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey, which was carried out in the year to June 2016, has found that the average height of Australians aged 14+ is 170cm (5’7"). However, the average height of people who earn $A200,000 or more is 176cm (just over 5’9"), while the average height of those on incomes below $A30,000 is below the population average at 168cm (5’6"). The survey also shows that while the average height of Australian men is 176cm, men earning $A200,000+ have an average height of 179cm (just under 5’11"). In contrast, men whose income is under $A30,000 are shorter, averaging 176cm. Meanwhile, the average height of women earning $A40,000-$A49,999 is 163cm (5’4"), but this creeps up to an average of 166cm (just over 5’5") among those on incomes of between $A110,000 and $A199,999.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED

Foreign cap on Qantas needs axing: Joyce

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Original article by Mitchell Bingemann
The Australian – Page: 29 : 16-Sep-16

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce says the airline is being disadvantaged by ownership restrictions because they prevent it from participating in global consolidation in the sector. He has called on the Federal Government to make changes to the Qantas Sale Act. Peter Harbison, the executive chairman of CAPA-Centre for Aviation, says restrictions on foreign ownership amount to protectionism.

CORPORATES
QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN, VIRGIN AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX VAH, CAPA – CENTRE FOR AVIATION

Construction work deals blowing out project costs

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Original article by John Slater
Herald Sun – Page: 34 : 16-Sep-16

Construction unions have too much influence on big infrastructure projects, demanding excessive wages for no gains in productivity. The Menzies Research Centre has calculated that inefficient work practices and excessive wages on union-controlled construction sites increase the cost of major infrastructure projects by 20 per cent to 30 per cent. The Wonthaggi desalination plant in Victoria is a good example of union power and its consequences.

CORPORATES
CONSTRUCTION, FORESTRY, MINING AND ENERGY UNION OF AUSTRALIA, THE MENZIES RESEARCH CENTRE LIMITED

Bank chiefs to face three-hour grilling

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Original article by Fleur Anderson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 3 : 16-Sep-16

The CEOs of Australia’s "big four" banks will front a parliamentary committee over three days in October 2016. Each CEO is slated to appear before the inquiry for three hours, under the Federal Government’s new policy of requiring banking industry leaders to front up to parliament once a year. However, the Opposition has criticised the timing of the CEOs’ parliamentary testimony, given that it will be during school holidays and in a week when parliament is not sitting.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES STANDING COMMITTEE ON ECONOMICS, FINANCE AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN BANKERS’ ASSOCIATION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Super done, next task is growth

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 16-Sep-16

Federal Treasurer Scott Morrison will use a speech on 16 September 2016 to call for structural economic reforms. He will argue that action is needed to boost the earnings of the nation, individuals and businesses, citing the environment of low inflation, interest rates, wages growth and economic growth. Meanwhile, Morrison has urged the Opposition to support superannuation reforms after the Coalition agreed to abandon its proposed lifetime cap on non-concessional contributions. This had been a key sticking point for the Australian Labor Party.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Major derailment disrupts supply side of coking coal

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Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 17 : 16-Sep-16

Shipments from the Abbot Point coal terminal in Queensland will be affected by a derailment on Aurizon Holdings’ Northern train line in the Bowen Basin. The incident will affect Glencore’s Newlands coking coal mine and BHP Billiton’s Goonyella/Riverside mine. Damage to the train line is expected to take about a week to repair, and the reduced supply could put upward pressure on the coking coal price, which has risen by 100 so far in 2016.

CORPORATES
BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, GLENCORE PLC, AURIZON HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX AZJ, AURIZON NETWORK PTY LTD, ANGLO AMERICAN COAL, QCOAL PTY LTD, SOUTH32 LIMITED – ASX S32, MITSUBISHI CORPORATION, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD, PACIFIC NATIONAL PTY LTD

Rate cuts ‘hurt some but overall we gain’

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Original article by David Uren
The Australian – Page: 21 : 16-Sep-16

A report released by the Reserve Bank of Australia suggests that official interest rate cuts have a net gain for the nation overall, despite the impact on savers. The report argues that each $A1 reduction in home loan repayments results in an average increase of at least $A0.20 in expenditure on consumer durables. However, spending on durables rises by just $A0.04 on average for each $A1 increase in the interest income of net savers.

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA

Formidable barriers mean Fed’s rate rise is no-go next week

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Original article by Karen Maley
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 28 : 16-Sep-16

Financial market traders have priced in a 15 per cent chance that the Federal Reserve will increase US interest rates in September 2016. Rates have increased just twice in the past when the odds of a rise have been 20 per cent or less. Unlike at present, inflation was a key issue on both occasions. Meanwhile, opinion is divided among Federal Reserve policymakers regarding the timing of a rate rise, while the central bank is unlikely to increase the cash rate prior to the presidential election in November.

CORPORATES
UNITED STATES. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATION, MERRILL LYNCH AND COMPANY INCORPORATED